Photographic-printing machine.



F. W. BARKLEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 19m,

1,243,685 Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

2 SHEET'SSHEET x.

I I SIM/Wow F. W. BARKLEY.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, I917- 2 SHEET Patented Oct. 23,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED W. BARKLEY, OF ROCHESTER, NEVJ 'YGBK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN DRAFTING FURNITURE 00., OF ROCHESTER, NEW! YORK, A CDRPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rHoToeaArnIc-Pmnmne MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FR D IV. BARKLEY, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Printing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to photography in so far as the art of printing upon sensitized sheets is concerned, and it has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and serviceable machine more particularly adapted for the making of blue prints or similar records. A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character through which the sensitized material may be run whether in continuous lengths or in separate sheets of different areas, and it is also an object to obviate the use of glass platens or surfaces such as have been heretofore in use but which are undesirable because of their frangibility. To these and other ends the invention consists of certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a blue print machine constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof, and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the delivery end of the machine.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

A printer constructed in accordance with my invention is preferably of what is known as the continuous film type, that is, which operates on the principle of conveying the sensitized material and the negative past the light during exposure so that difierent portions of its" area pass through the zone of light successively in contradistinction to the method of exposing all portions of the area simultaneously. The machine illustrated comprises a frame formed of side pieces 1 supporting intermediate printing beds or platens 2 (indicated. in dotted lines in Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

Application filed June 7, 1917. Serial no. 173,280.

1) which preferably have an erect position being convex or bowed outwardly toward each other to present a substantially V- shaped joint structure. At the base of the V between the two beds, is a cylindrical drum 3 and directly beneath it an idle guide roll 4. There is an idle guide roll 5 also at the head or upper portion of one bed, and a driving roll 6 in a similar position at the head of the other. These rolls carry an endless flexible apron 7 that may be opaque and may be suitably composed of canvas or similar material. From an inspection of Fig. 1, it will be seen that this apron extends from the idle roll 5 at the left downward over and against the adjacent printing bed or platen 2; beneath the drum 3; upwardly over the opposite printing bed; around the drive roll 6 and another idler 8 provided for the purpose of increasing the surface contact, and thence downwardly beneath the bed under the idle roll 1, and back to the roll 5, the description having been proceeded with in the direction of actual movement of the apron.

The roller 6 may be driven in any suitable manner but in the present instance, I have provided a gear 9 on the roller shaft that meshes with a worm 10 on a vertical shaft 11, having a friction disk 12 at its lower end cooperating with the driving disk 13 on a main driving shaft which is indicated to be connected, in the present instance, with the motor 14: by a belt 15. The shaft 11 is slidable vertically in its bearings 16 under the influence of a bell crank 17, so that the disk 12 may be adjusted in a familiar manner with reference to the disk 13 to regulate the speed of the shaft 11 and hence the speed of the driving roll 6 and the apron. I have shown a push rod 18 carried on a swiveled bracket 19 as a means for operating the bell crank 17.

In connection with the apron 7, there operates a second apron 20 that preferably travels in the same direction with a portion of its length substantially coincident therewith and superposed thereupon, to which end there is provided an idle roll 21 above the roll 5 and so nearly contacting therewith as to leave very little more room than is required for the belt 7 between them; an idler 22 arranged at an elevated point above the frame 1, and a driving roll 23 arranged closely adjacent to the driving roll 6. The

said driving roll 23 may receive motion through a gear 24' on its own shaft, from a gear 25 on the shaft of roll 6, as shown. Any suitable support may also be provided for the roll 22 such as the standards 26 and brackets 27, the latter preferably carrying a jockey pulley 28 as a tightening means to avoid slack in the belt 20, and which exerts pressure on the latter under the influence of a spring 29.

The belt 20 is of novel construction in that it is constituted by a plurality of cords, bands or flexible members of this general nature which run preferably parallel with each other in spaced relationship, but may be entirely independent, as shown. For this reason, the several rolls 21, 22 and 23, and also the drum 18, are provided with spaced peripheral grooves 30, one for each cord or strand, so that they are kept properly spaced. Thus, in passing over the drum 3 the two aprons do not pinch each other for the corded apron takes contact in the bottom of the grooves, while the solid apron 7 contacts the outer surface.

The present machine is intended more particularly for making the exposure with artificial light rather than natural light and is fitted with a suitable illuminator 31 that, in the present instance, is hung from the bracket frame 27 to occupy a position between the two printing beds 2 at a point above the drum 3. When the machine is in use, the sensitized sheet with the negative superposed thereon is fed from a suitable feed table 32 between the rollers 5 and 21 whereat it is taken up by the two aprons 7 and 20 and carried between them by frictional contact slowly down over the adjacent bed 2, past the light 31, beneath the drum 3, and up over the opposite bed, being discharged from between the driving rollers 6 and 23. During its passage it is exposed for a greater or less length of time, accord ing to the speed at which the machine is run, to the light which enters through the slots or openings formed between the cords of the outer apron 20.

As these cords run longitudinally of the apron, in the present instance, in general extent, it is obvious that with the structure thus far described there would be a tendency for each cord to cast a constant shadow upon a narrow strip of the sensitized sheet corresponding thereto in width during its entire progress across the printing bed, and this would result in unequal exposure of the printing surface. To provide against this, I utilize still another transverse guide roll 33 arranged to span each bed at a point substantially midway between the roll at the head thereof and the point of tangency with the drum 3, which roll is also provided with peripheral grooves 34. Each cord is given a loop or turn around this roll so as to occupy one of the grooves, and the roll is mounted to slide axially in its bearing transversely of the direction of travel of the belts and of the sensitized sheet. It is oscillated in this way, in the present embodiment of the invention, by rocker arms 35, pivoted at 36 to the side frame 1 and each arranged with one end 00- operating with the roll 33 by means of a pin engaging in the circular groove 37 on the shaft of the said roll, while the other carries a similar pin traveling in a cam groove 38 on the shaft of the drum 3.

The constant oscillation of the roll 33 back and forth, during the progress of the aprons, and of the sensitized sheet or sheets, will cause a corresponding vibration of the cords of the apron 20 in a lateral direction with respect to the lengths thereof that are disposed across the beds 2. The result is that the cords are prevented from maintaining themselves parallel with the path of movement of the sheet or in fixed position relatively thereto and instead relatively angular disposition which prevents any of them from casting a shadow upon an area of the sensitized surface, which area does not pass from such shadow into the light again.

It is apparent that some of-the advantages of my invention, as illustrated in the present embodiment, could be attained were the cords forming the belt 20 fixed instead of movable with respect to the direction of travel of the print, though they should be, nevertheless, strung at an angle with respect to such direction of movement. Such a structure would be approximated by disconnecting the driving mechanism of the belt 20 in the present machine. In this view, the slots or openings between the cords of the apron 20 through which the light passes, are angularly disposed so that they sweep such areas of the print during its passage as also pass beneath the cords that define them. The apron, nevertheless, keeps in contact with the print and its accompanying negative, holding it smooth and flattening it down against the bed, or rather against the intervening belt 7, so that the two are held in accurate register and carried along uniformly throughout the zone of exposure.

Of course, the carrying capacity of the apron 7 is much greater than that of the apron 20 because of its excess of contact surface so that it will advance the sensitized sheet regardless of the state of rest or motion maintained by the apron 20.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a photographic printer, the combination with a support and means for feeding a sensitized sheet over the support during its exposure, of means for restraining and flattening the sheet against the support are glven .3

lbs

located on the outer or exposed side thereof, and embodying a nar'row'm'ember of less area than the sheet and covering only a fraction ofits surface arranged to span the lat ter and disposed angularly with reference to the direction of travel of the sheet so as to shift laterally over the surface of the sheet as the latter is advanced.

2, In a photographic printer, the combination with a support and 'ineans for feeding a sensitized sheet over the support during exposure, of means for restraining and flattening the sheet against the support lo cated on the outer or exposed side thereof and comprising a plurality of flexible narrow members, each of less area than the sheet and covering only a fraction of its surface arranged to span the latter and disposed angularly with reference to the direction of travel of the sheet so as to shift laterally over the surface of the sheet as the latter is advanced.

3. In a photographic printer, the combination with a support and means for feeding a sensitized sheet over the support during exposure, of means for restraining and flattening the sheet against the support disposed on the outer or exposed side thereof and embodying a member spanning the sheet, and means for vibrating the member to prevent it from casting a sustained shadow on any portion of the area of the sheet.

4. In a photographic printer, the combination with a support and means for feeding a sensitized sheet over the support during exposure, of means for restraining and flattening the sheet against the support disposed on the outer or exposed side thereof and comprising a plurality of flexible members spanning the sheet and means for oscillating the same to prevent them from casting a sustained shadow on any portion of the sheet.

A photographic printing device comprising a pair of flexible aprons arranged with portions of their lengths in superposed relationship and between which the sensitized sheet is adapted to be fed and carried during exposure by the movement of one of them, the other of said aprons being formed to provide an elongated opening disposed angularly with respect to the direction of movement of the sensitized sheet.

6. A photographic printing device comprising a pair of flexible aprons arranged to travel in the same general direction with portions of their lengths in superposed relationship and between which the sensitized sheet is adapted to be fed and carried during exposure. one of said aprons being constituted to provide a plurality of openings to admit light to the exposed side of the sheet.

7. In a photographic printing device, the combination with a pair of flexible aprons arranged to travel in the same general direction with portions of their lengths in superposed relationship and between which the sensitized sheet is adapted to be fed and carried during exposure, one of said aprons being constituted to provide a plurality to openings to admit light to the exposed side of the sheet, of means for vibrating said last mentioned apron laterally of the direction of general travel to prevent the solid portions thereof from casting a sustained shadow over any portion of the sheet.

8. A photographic printer comprising a pair of traveling aprons between which the sheet of sensitized material is fed and carried during exposure, one of said aprons being constituted by a plurality of flexible spaced cords.

9. In a photographic printer, the combination with a pair of traveling aprons between which the sheet of sensitized material is fed and carried during exposure, one of said aprons being constituted by a plurality of spaced flexible cords running substantially longitudinally of the apron, of means for vibrating the cords laterally to prevent them from casting a sustained shadow on any portion of the sheet.

10. In a photographic printer, the combination with a pair of traveling aprons between which the sheet of sensitized material is fed and carried during exposure, one of said aprons being constituted by a plurality of spaced flexible cords running substantially longitudinally of the apron, of a guide roller extending transversely of the aprons and provided with peripheral grooves to receive the said cords.

11. In a photographic printer, the co-mbination with a pair of traveling aprons be tween which the sheet of sensitized material is fed and carried during exposure, one of said aprons being constituted by a plurality of spaced flexible cords running substantially longitudinally of the apron, of a guide roller extending transversely of the aprons and provided with peripheral grooves to receive the said cords, and means for oscillating the roller longitudinally to vibrate the cords laterally with reference to the sensitized sheet.

12. In a photographic printer, the combination with a convex printing bed or platen, and an apron arranged to travel against the bed, of a second apron superposed upon the first and comprising a plurality of flexible spaced cords between which and the first mentioned apron the print is adapted to be carried during exposure, a guide roller extending across the bed and provided with peripheral grooves to retain the cords when looped about the roller, and means for oscillating the roller longitudinally to impart lateral vibration to the cords.

13. The combination with a pair of convex ing exposure, and guides therefor arranged printing beds or platens curved inwardly to cause them to traverse the beds, said 10 toward each other and jointly forming a aprons being passed beneath the drum. substantially V-shaped structure adapted to receive a luminator, of a drum arranged be- FRED BARKLEY tween and at the bases of the beds, a pair of Witnesses: superposed aprons adapted to receive and WILL N. KENYoN, carry the sensitized sheet between them vdur- CHAS. W. WA'I'IS.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

